Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[gfraser]

I am about to book our first OW Classic Reward for next Nov/Dec.
When calling the Call Centre to make an addition, do they charge 5000 points per booking or per sector?
e.g. From A - B then B - C on different days, which of the above applies if booked on the same call?

 

[exceladdict]

I am about to book our first OW Classic Reward for next Nov/Dec.
When calling the Call Centre to make an addition, do they charge 5000 points per booking or per sector?
e.g. From A - B then B - C on different days, which of the above applies if booked on the same call?

Once per pax per call. Can make multiple changes for one fee per pax.

 

[DC3]

I am about to book our first OW Classic Reward for next Nov/Dec.
When calling the Call Centre to make an addition, do they charge 5000 points per booking or per sector?
e.g. From A - B then B - C on different days, which of the above applies if booked on the same call?

There’s a lot of very useful information already posted. You have only about 8,000 posts to read.

It’s never too early to start reading them and it may save some unfortunate mistakes.

 

[gfraser]

There’s a lot of very useful information already posted. You have only about 8,000 posts to read.

It’s never too early to start reading them and it may save some unfortunate mistakes.

Thanks for that. I’ve been following this thread and doing my homework for months.

 

[flychrisfly]

Is business no long available for this flight? Looking to fly in 2020 around this time using the 318k RTW award ticket.

It's not a RTW ticket

 

[squid01]

Just working out the exact flight details of my OWA. Searching for flights from LAX to Mexico City (end of March 2020 in Economy) and get the below result. Is this 38minute connection in Phoenix even possible?

Also is it worrying if I only find this availability on Qantas, it doesn't come up on JAL or BA searches. I have found the opposite for every other flight I search, Qantas has the least (more inaccurate) results?

Is there ever a chance that if I can't see the flight I want on a given day on either Qantas, JAL or BA sites then there could be availability if I ring up? Or no chance if it isn't on at least one of the sites?

 

[DC3]

Just working out the exact flight details of my OWA. Searching for flights from LAX to Mexico City (end of March 2020 in Economy) and get the below result. Is this 38minute connection in Phoenix even possible? ..

You may make the connection, but your checked luggage may well not. Are you travelling HLO?

Some don’t care too much about missed connections, but I like to give it a bit more time in between flights. Really depends on what you are comfortable with.

Regarding availability, are you also being presented with LAX-DFW-MEX options on the QF site? Are you reasonably flexible with travel dates and looking at up to a few days either side?

 

[squid01]

You may make the connection, but your checked luggage may well not. Are you travelling HLO?

Some don’t care too much about missed connections, but I like to give it a bit more time in between flights. Really depends on what you are comfortable with.

Regarding availability, are you also being presented with LAX-DFW-MEX options on the QF site? Are you reasonably flexible with travel dates and looking at up to a few days either side?

Is say an hour and a half adequate?

Yes I believe there is also via DFW flights. Would work best if it was departing LAX on the 29th or 30th.

i can see a direct flight on the 1st of April on Qantas site but doesn’t show up on JAL or BA.

what do you mean by ‘HLO’?

 

[DC3]

Is say an hour and a half adequate?

Yes I believe there is also via DFW flights. Would work best if it was departing LAX on the 29th or 30th.

i can see a direct flight on the 1st of April on Qantas site but doesn’t show up on JAL or BA.

what do you mean by ‘HLO’?

Hand Luggage Only. Meaning that you will not have checked luggage in the aircraft hold. 38 minutes with checked luggage: If flights are on time, checked luggage may not make that connection, but it will follow on another flight.

 

[DC3]

Is say an hour and a half adequate?

Yes I believe there is also via DFW flights. Would work best if it was departing LAX on the 29th or 30th ...

Yes, I can see that the QF site is not looking good for those dates. 31st has much better options, while 28th is very limited.

No harm phoning the Call Centre to enquire. Not much to lose other than massive time-wasting and potentially wrong information being provided. At some point you will be phoning them anyway. If you are lucky, Oz or NZ may answer (this sometimes works at around 6.30am or earlier, but no guarantees), but SA and Manila never sleep.

The trouble is that the CSO will only work from what they can see as being available. Can be frustrating. Never any point getting into an argument though.

Personally, when I see something that will work, even if not perfect, I book it. I can always change later if I become aware of something better, at 5,000 points cost per person, per phone call of course. Hesitation can lose the seats, and then what? Only you can decide when to book of course.

Edit: As for connection times, I am happy with 90 minutes to (ideally) two hours). But all that goes out the window when the unforeseen cancellations/late arrivals come along. Some prefer very short connections (easier with HLO), but we are all different.

 

[squid01]

Yes, I can see that the QF site is not looking good for those dates. 31st has much better options, while 28th is very limited.

No harm phoning the Call Centre to enquire. Not much to lose other than massive time-wasting and potentially wrong information being provided. At some point you will be phoning them anyway. If you are lucky, Oz or NZ may answer (this sometimes works at around 6.30am or earlier, but no guarantees), but SA and Manila never sleep.

The trouble is that the CSO will only work from what they can see as being available. Can be frustrating. Never any point getting into an argument though.

Personally, when I see something that will work, even if not perfect, I book it. I can always change later if I become aware of something better, at 5,000 points cost per person, per phone call of course. Hesitation can lose the seats, and then what? Only you can decide when to book of course.

Edit: As for connection times, I am happy with 90 minutes to (ideally) two hours). But all that goes out the window when the unforeseen cancellations/late arrivals come along. Some prefer very short connections (easier with HLO), but we are all different.

Thank you for the advice!

Yes will have checked luggage. With this short connections, if the first leg is cancelled and I miss the second leg will that have any bearing on the rest of my OWA trip? I assume AA would just put me on the next flight, and it wouldn’t effect any of my other legs on the OWA? Might be different if it wasn’t booked as a through flight though (ie- I had booked two individual segments myself)?

Here’s another curve ball, in booking the OWA and paying the taxes, does Qantas accept Qantas gift vouchers as payment (over the phone)? I have a couple which will easily cover the taxes.

 

[DC3]

.... With this short connections, if the first leg is cancelled and I miss the second leg ... I assume AA would just put me on the next flight, and it wouldn’t effect any of my other legs on the OWA ...

.... does Qantas accept Qantas gift vouchers as payment (over the phone)? I have a couple which will easily cover the taxes.

Flight cancellations by AA will be rebooked for onward connections. I have only redeemed vouchers on the QF website, and have no experience with redemptions by phone.

 

[Hamole]

Has anyone else has issues with a difference in availability between only and with SMS agents?

I've been trying to add an AA flight to my booking but I've had two seperate SMS agents tell me there is no reward availability on the flight. However, searching through the Qantas flight shows business reward availability, it's been like that for at least a week and is still there now.

I had the same issue when initially booking the trip and trying to add QF9. SMS agents told me there was no availability so I eventually gave up and booked what I could online and had no issue.

 

[DC3]

.. I've been trying to add an AA flight to my booking but I've had two seperate SMS agents tell me there is no reward availability on the flight.....

Very frustrating. However, the CSO can only book what they see as being available.

Phantom availability exists, at times.

 

[cambriamarsh]

Has anyone else has issues with a difference in availability between only and with SMS agents?

I've been trying to add an AA flight to my booking but I've had two seperate SMS agents tell me there is no reward availability on the flight. However, searching through the Qantas flight shows business reward availability, it's been like that for at least a week and is still there now.

I had the same issue when initially booking the trip and trying to add QF9. SMS agents told me there was no availability so I eventually gave up and booked what I could online and had no issue.

Try mentioning your status, that can make a difference as I have found recently

 

[Danger]

Can a wiki be created for this thread? If so, I'm happy to give it a go, provided some of the members more informed on this product can double-check.

 

[acinod]

I'm planning to book the below RTW trip (business class) for the end of next year:

1. MEL-CMB via SriLankan Airlines - stop 1
2. CMB-DOH-AMM via SriLankan Airlines/Royal Jordanian - stop 2
3. AMM-CAI - surface sector
4. CAI-LHR-HEL via British Airways/Finnair (Economy) - stop 3
5. HEL-DOH-JFK via Qatar Airways - stop 4
6. JFK-MIA-EZE via American Airlines - stop 5
7. SCL-MEL via Qantas?

All the flights are available for booking on the Qantas website except for the last 2 segments. The JFK-MIA and MIA-EZE flight don't seem to be available until next month (furthest date shown is early Nov). The SCL-MEL flight seems to be very unavailable right now. The most far out I can find is in August and it's the SCL-SYD-MEL with Qantas.

Does this sound like a good plan:

1. Book all the flights up until the JFK-MIA-EZE segment
2. Pay 5k points next month to add the JFK-MIA-EZE segment
3. Pay another 5k points when the final leg (SCL-MEL) becomes available (might not be until middle of next year from the looks of it)

I'm a bit worried about the SCL-MEL route. Does anyone know how flight availability for this route will look like next year given LATAM has exited Oneworld? I'm hoping for a flight back to Melbourne either on a Friday or Saturday.

Thank you.

 

[Danger]

I'm planning to book the below RTW trip (business class) for the end of next year:

1. MEL-CMB via SriLankan Airlines - stop 1
2. CMB-DOH-AMM via SriLankan Airlines/Royal Jordanian - stop 2
3. AMM-CAI - surface sector
4. CAI-LHR-HEL via British Airways/Finnair (Economy) - stop 3
5. HEL-DOH-JFK via Qatar Airways - stop 4
6. JFK-MIA-EZE via American Airlines - stop 5
7. SCL-MEL via Qantas?

All the flights are available for booking on the Qantas website except for the last 2 segments. The JFK-MIA and MIA-EZE flight don't seem to be available until next month (furthest date shown is early Nov). The SCL-MEL flight seems to be very unavailable right now. The most far out I can find is in August and it's the SCL-SYD-MEL with Qantas.

Does this sound like a good plan:

1. Book all the flights up until the JFK-MIA-EZE segment
2. Pay 5k points next month to add the JFK-MIA-EZE segment
3. Pay another 5k points when the final leg (SCL-MEL) becomes available (might not be until middle of next year from the looks of it)

I'm a bit worried about the SCL-MEL route. Does anyone know how flight availability for this route will look like next year given LATAM has exited Oneworld? I'm hoping for a flight back to Melbourne either on a Friday or Saturday.

Thank you.

FIrst, it looks like you just scrape in on the mileage front at 34,796 according to gcmap.com. However, SCL-MEL is only operated by LATAM and by the time you fly the airline will no longer be a oneworld member which means you will need to look at an alternate route as it won't be possible to include it a new booking (or change the affected flight on an existing booking) once it says goodbye. South America to Australia doesn't give many options, the only easy one being SCL-SYD on QF. However, you don't have the mileage to add in the SYD-MEL, even as a surface sector. If you changed CAI-LHR-HEL to something like CAI-CPH/MUC/FRA/TXL-HEL, you'd save a few miles, as would flying out of AMM (i.e. returning to AMM after CAI but on your dime, as a separate flight). The biggest mileage saver would be by flying HEL-JFK direct or even HEL-ORD-JFK. Other options that I suspect would save quite a few miles include HEL-MAD/LHR/FCO/CDG/MXP/BCN-JFK.

As to your questions, yes, book all the flights now to lock them in. Yes, pay the 5K change fee when the other flights become available but my guess is North America-South America are popular routes so you may need to be flexible with routings which will require having some miles up your sleeve. And, yes, you could proceed with booking the SCL-MEL on LA once it becomes available. However, once LA leaves oneworld you would not be able to touch that flight, other than drop it for an entire new flight using a oneworld airline.

 

[DC3]

Hesitation often results in losing availability for the proposed dates. Someone else will take them.

The OneWorld Award is very generous, considering what is provided. The change cost of 5,000 points/passenger/phone call is minimal, really.

 

[acinod]

FIrst, it looks like you just scrape in on the mileage front at 34,796 according to gcmap.com. However, SCL-MEL is only operated by LATAM and by the time you fly the airline will no longer be a oneworld member which means you will need to look at an alternate route as it won't be possible to include it a new booking (or change the affected flight on an existing booking) once it says goodbye. South America to Australia doesn't give many options, the only easy one being SCL-SYD on QF. However, you don't have the mileage to add in the SYD-MEL, even as a surface sector. If you changed CAI-LHR-HEL to something like CAI-CPH/MUC/FRA/TXL-HEL, you'd save a few miles, as would flying out of AMM (i.e. returning to AMM after CAI but on your dime, as a separate flight). The biggest mileage saver would be by flying HEL-JFK direct or even HEL-ORD-JFK. Other options that I suspect would save quite a few miles include HEL-MAD/LHR/FCO/CDG/MXP/BCN-JFK.

As to your questions, yes, book all the flights now to lock them in. Yes, pay the 5K change fee when the other flights become available but my guess is North America-South America are popular routes so you may need to be flexible with routings which will require having some miles up your sleeve. And, yes, you could proceed with booking the SCL-MEL on LA once it becomes available. However, once LA leaves oneworld you would not be able to touch that flight, other than drop it for an entire new flight using a oneworld airline.

Good pick up on the mileage being over if I do SCL-SYD-MEL instead of SCL-MEL (which seems to be almost certain looking at historical Friday/Saturday availability).

For a lot of the routes you mentioned, I can't seem to find them on the Qantas website (e.g. CAI-CPH/MUC/FRA/TXL-HEL)

The reason I booked HEL-DOH-JFK is because the HEL-JFK direct is only available in economy and is a long flight. The tax is only $185 more but I trade a night in New York for essentially free accommodation on the best business class flight. How is the HEL-JFK economy flight?

I think what I can do is fly CAI-ATH and then ATH-HEL (only available Tue/Fri) on the Aegean using my own money. This would put me to 33,659 miles since AMM-HEL would count as a surface sector. Could that work? The added benefit is I also get another stopover.

EDIT: Also how come for MIA-EZE, the direct flight appears when I just search one-way but doesn't show when I add it to a multi-trip itinerary (e.g. on 5 Nov)? Will I be ok if I call up to book?